Z-95 Headhunter
The Z-95 Headhunter was a star-fighter designed jointly by Incom and Subpro Corporations years before the Invasion of Naboo. Its resilience and longevity meant it remained a staple of private and low-priority government star-fighter forces long after its introduction. Characteristics Considered one of the most capable fighters of its day, it boasted a distinctive bubble canopy and a set of triple blasters mounted at the ends of each of its two variable geometry wings; later versions dispensed with the swing wings and bubble canopy in favour of more precise manoeuvring thrusters and canopy instrumentation. Its sleek yet rugged design was attributed to Seti Ashgad, a scientist in Incom's Hyperdrive Design Division. It was named after the Coromon headhunter, a predator native to the Coromon Islands on Fresia, the planet where Incom was head-quartered. The Z-95 was smaller in size than its successors: the Incom/Subpro ARC-170, designed during the Clone Wars; and the Incom T-65 X-wing, designed shortly before the outbreak of the Galactic Civil War. While the Z-95 still enjoyed considerable use in the years following the establishment of the New Republic, it was clearly outclassed by fighters developed in the decades since its original release. When compared to the T-65, it was slower, less manoeuvrable, had lighter armour and shielding, and was not as heavily armed. It was fairly inexpensive and reliable, making it a favourite amongst smugglers, Outer Rim organizations, local system defence forces, and bright-eyed youngsters with dreams of becoming fighter jockeys. Pirate groups such as the Nebula Front also used the Z-95. Also, despite the later T-65 being more manoeuvrable, the Z-95 was known to be able to perform a tighter turn. Owing to its longevity, it was not surprising that many variants of the Z-95 came into existence due to the efforts of starship mechanics and hotrod pilots throughout the galaxy; these included a split-wing version, a courier version that could accommodate a single passenger, variants with various alternative weapons load-outs, and a trainer version, the Z-95XT Trainer, that was commonly used by the Rebel Alliance until replaced by the T-65X, the trainer variant of the X-wing. History Republic Service Originally, the Z-95 was constructed by the Galactic Republic before the Clone Wars. The prototype for the Z-95 was Onyx Star, developed at the Bahalian Shipyards. After Subpro and Incom ended their partnership, Incom reportedly bought the intellectual property rights and proprietary systems of the Z-95. One notable Z-95 was the Dicer flown by the Bothan pilot Eelo Begraas around 31 BBY. He painted it red-on-black, a colour scheme that was immediately identifiable to his opponents. Such was Begraas' reputation that the mere sight of the Headhunter was enough to send many opposing pilots into hysterics. Nirama, crimelord of the Cularin system, used Z-95s both as his sponsored ships for the races of Eskaron, and to provide armored transport to some of his main minions. A Headhunter variant, the clone Z-95 star-fighter, saw use during a Republic campaign to retake the planet Umbara. Also, Headhunters participated in the Outer Rim Sieges against the Confederacy of Independent Systems. After the war, the Z-95 would fall into the hands of parties other than the newly-formed Galactic Empire, such as pirates and other underworld groups. Galactic Civil War Though outdated by the time of the Galactic Civil War, Z-95 Headhunters were well respected star-fighters that were available to buy from various merchants, and were still in common use as late as the Second Galactic Civil War. Han Solo piloted an early model Z-95 while leading the defence of an outlaw tech base in the Corporate Sector against CSA IRD-A fighters. However, by this period, they were considered obsolete compared to other fighters. The Rebellion used Z-95t Headhunters in close air support roles. The temporary Alliance covert squadron, Bandit Squadron, also used Z-95s. The m'Yalfor'ac Order in Guiteica was also known to use these by-then obsolete fighters around 2 ABY. N'dru Suhlak piloted a Z-95 with an expanded cockpit to carry passengers. Foot Note This Ship is used within a RESOLUTION Plots and is so part of the RSNverse of Star Wars lore. Category:Other Starships Category:Alliance Starships